Offices abroad bringing foreign industries to Zhuhai

Overseas Zhuhai foreign trade offices brought 44 industrial projects to the city last year, led by Europe with 22 and North America with 12.

Overseas Zhuhai foreign trade offices brought 44 industrial projects to the city last year, led by Europe with 22 and North America with 12.

The Municipal Commerce Bureau reports that six of the projects each are from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. In all, they mostly address equipment manufacture, electronic and information, modern services, and biomedicine.

Valued at 17 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), the new industries look to benefit from the opening soon of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the city's strategic location in the Greater Bay region.

Meanwhile, new Zhuhai Economic & Trade Representative Offices in Malaysia and Israel are also having a positive impact on attracting industrial growth. And, other efforts are succeeding in Latin American and along Belt & Road Initiative countries.

The city government issued a plan in November 2016 to strengthen cooperation with developed countries by setting up the offices abroad. This led to faster and more-efficient mechanisms, better communications, and closer trade ties with governments, business associations, and enterprises.

In the meantime, the Los Angeles office visited more than 20 firms that have branches in Zhuhai to better understand contextual development and business environments. It is reported that this strengthened dialogue with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs will further develop the Chinese market.

The Macao operation is meantime hosting economic and commercial exchanges and activities with multinational corporations and delegations interested in Zhuhai. Through personal visits, Portuguese-speaking businesspeople can perceive the city playing a critical role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Also thanks to the office's effort, the China-Latin America & Caribbean International Exposition hosted by Zhuhai last year had dozens of Hong Kong-invested enterprises in attendance.

And then there's the success of the 3rd China-Israel Investment Summit held in Shizimen last June. It opened the door for broad prospects in bilateral cooperation. The Zhuhai government has since been paying attention to implementing projects that were clinched then. For instance, the city has sped up construction of the China-Israel Innovation Accelerator and Israel-China (Zhuhai) Offshore Innovation Coast, which were included in the local government's 2018 Work Report.

Licenses for the Israel operation have already been obtained, and they are now recruiting staff. Once fully operational, the Israel office will promote economic and trade exchanges while deepening technological cooperation.